Beijing Now Has 18 Pilot Hospitals for International Patients — Up From 8
Beijing's international medical services pilot programme has expanded from 8 to 18 institutions in 2026. What the policy covers and what foreign patients should confirm.
Published October 22, 2026
In short
Beijing has run an international medical services pilot programme
since 2020. It began with 8 institutions; in October 2026 the city
announced the programme has expanded to 18 — a mix of public
hospitals' international departments and private international
providers. Pilot institutions get real policy support, including their
own pricing autonomy and a channel to import clinically urgent
drugs. Citywide, 156 Beijing institutions now offer
foreign-language service through the whole patient journey. The complete
roster of 18 has not been published yet; this guide explains how to check participation before booking.
What is the pilot programme?
In 2020 the Beijing Municipal Health Commission launched an
international medical services reform programme: a first batch of 8
pilot institutions and 10 reform tasks, designed to make top
Chinese hospitals usable by foreign patients. The pilots were given
tools ordinary departments do not have:
- Pricing autonomy — pilot institutions set their own prices for
international services. - Access to urgently needed imported drugs — pilots can apply to
import medicines for urgent clinical need. Approval under this channel is a hospital-led process, not a promise that a particular medicine is available to every patient. - Foreign-patient infrastructure — passport-based registration,
foreign-language service, and links to international insurers.
How to verify a pilot institution
The founding eight were named publicly by Li Ang, vice director of the
Beijing Municipal Health Commission, and carried in the Beijing
municipal government's English-language releases.
The founding group covered public tertiary care, traditional Chinese medicine, private international care and travel health. This guide does not reproduce an institution directory. Confirm the current institution and department with the municipal health authority and the provider before booking; pilot status alone does not establish a suitable appointment, insurance arrangement or clinical service.
What changed in 2026: 8 becomes 18
At the "Beijing outcomes" briefing of the 2026 World Congress on
Traditional Medicine (18 October 2026), Gao Lu, deputy director of the
Beijing Municipal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,
confirmed the pilot group has grown from 8 to 18 institutions,
spanning public hospitals' international departments and private
(socially-run) international medical providers. Beijing's municipal
government English releases already describe "18 institutions designated
as pilot sites," corroborating the expansion.
What has not been released: the full named roster of the 18. Until
the Health Commission publishes it, any complete-looking list of 18 is
unofficial. (One caution: a separate list of 8 hospitals that joined the
"114" booking platform's English edition — covering a separate set of providers — is a platform list, not the pilot
roster. The two overlap only in part.)
The system around the pilots, in numbers
- 86 institutions connected with international commercial insurers
by end-2025 — 25.98% of eligible institutions citywide. - 41 hospitals bookable through the English edition of Beijing's 114
appointment platform. - All 18 pilot institutions support registration with a passport or
residence permit. - 156 institutions offer foreign-language service across the whole
patient journey; 52 run international medical departments; 167
accept international bank cards.
What this means if you are a patient
- Public hospital international services are part of the pilot. Confirm the participating department and its suitability for your needs.
- Prices are published and paid to the hospital. International
departments set their own prices (typically above domestic rates),
quote them in advance, and you pay the hospital directly. - Insurance direct billing is expanding but not universal — confirm
your insurer and hospital pairing before you travel. - Appointments still run on China's clock. Public hospital
specialist slots open only shortly before appointment dates rather
than months ahead — which is why trip planning and hospital scheduling
have to be coordinated together. That coordination is the part
PriumCare handles: records, matching, booking windows, interpretation
and follow-up, with all fees for care paid by you directly to the
hospital.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners be treated at Beijing's public hospitals?
Yes. Beijing's pilot programme formally opens designated public
hospitals — including top tertiary (Grade 3A) hospitals — to
international patients through their international medical departments.
You register with your passport, book an appointment, and pay the
hospital directly at its published international-department prices.
Where should I verify the pilot institutions?
Use the Beijing Municipal Health Commission and municipal government releases, then confirm the current institution and department directly. The original pilot roster, the later expansion and the English booking-platform directory are different lists; appearance on one does not prove inclusion on another.
Is the full list of the 18 pilot hospitals published?
Not yet. Beijing's health authorities announced the expansion from 8 to
18 in October 2026 and described the mix — international departments of
public hospitals plus private international providers — but have not
released the complete roster of 18. Lists circulating online that name
all 18 should be treated with caution.
Do international patients pay the same prices as Chinese patients?
Usually not. Pilot institutions have pricing autonomy for international
services, so international department prices are set by the hospital and
are typically higher than domestic outpatient prices — but they are
published by the hospital, quoted in advance, and paid directly to the
hospital.
Can these hospitals bill my international insurance directly?
Increasingly, yes. By the end of 2025, 86 Beijing institutions had
connected with international commercial insurers — about 26% of eligible
institutions — and all 18 pilot institutions support registration with a
passport or residence permit. Direct billing depends on your insurer and
the specific hospital, so it should be confirmed before your visit.
Sources and notes
- Beijing Municipal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,
"Beijing outcomes" briefing, 2026 World Congress on Traditional
Medicine, 18 October 2026 — reported by Beijing Daily, The Beijing
News and Qianlong News, 18–19 October 2026. - Beijing Municipal Health Commission, international medical services
reform programme (2020); original pilot institutions as stated by vice
director Li Ang; Beijing Foreign Affairs Office English-language
releases, 2025. - System statistics (insurer connections, 114 platform, foreign-language
service coverage) as released at the October 2026 briefing, referring
to end-2025 data.
PriumCare / 沛瑞医疗 is a medical travel coordination service.
We do not provide medical diagnosis or treatment; all care is delivered
by licensed hospitals, and hospital fees are paid by patients directly
to the hospital. Information on this page reflects official
announcements as of 22 October 2026 and will be updated when the full
pilot roster is published.
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© 2026 北京问道行文旅科技有限公司 / PriumCare · 沛瑞医疗. All rights reserved.
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